The president of the National Trade Unity Council (CNUS), Rafael (Pepe) Abreu, responded on Monday to the statements of the president of the Patronal Confederation of the Dominican Republic (Copardom), Laura Peña Izquierdo, who defended the proposals of the business sector around the reform of the Labor Code.
Abreu said that there is no misinterpretation of business proposals, as Peña Izquierdo suggested, but that LThe unions clearly include their implications.
“She speaks quite clear and those positions are highly known for The unions“He said.
The union leader categorically rejected the idea of pay the unemployment in installmentsalleging that this measure would ride the country to the old Labor Code of 1951, in force during the Trujillo dictatorship, which did not establish a fixed term for the payment of benefits.
“At that time entrepreneurs postponed constantly Payments And, given the need, workers were forced to accept disadvantageous agreements. That generated conflicts and even acts of violence, “Abreu recalled.
He explained that the situation changed with the promulgation of 1992 Labor Codewhich set a period of 10 days for the payment of labor benefits and established a daily surcharge in case of non -compliance.
According to Abreu, the current Business proposal seeks to eliminate that penalty and is not related to job creation, as it argues Copardom.
Criticism of the extension of the trial period
The president of CNUS He also rejected the proposal to expand from three to six months the probation or learning for young people, qualifying it countdown and harmful.
He indicated that similar measures were applied in countries such as Peru and Argentina, where entrepreneurs used temporary contracts for constantly rotate workersavoiding its fixed hiring and precarious employment.
“That practice was denounced before the International Labor Organization (ILO) For rapeing Labor rights and drastically reduce social security affiliation, “he warned.
Called to Congress
Pepe Abreu also addressed National Congressremembering that the project Labor Code Reform It was already approved in two consecutive readings in the Senate after a tripartite consensus process with entrepreneurs and unions.
He accused some Business sectors to try to reverse previously approved agreements and urged legislators to maintain the original text.
“Yeah Congress Respect what was approved, the issue would be closed. Reintroducing changes now would be to cause a setback and unnecessary confrontation, “he said.
Abreu warned that any attempt to modify The dismissaleither through its fractionation or under the argument of the “first job”, it could generate social tensions.
However, he stressed that unions do not seek conflicts, but preserve Labor peaceessential element for the stability of the country.
“We don’t want to contribute to social peace, but we warn to play The dismissal It will have consequences, “he said.
Code of 1992
Finally, The union leader He urged Congress to keep the 1992 code in force, which he described as balanced and functional:
“You (entrepreneurs) do not dare to approve the same thing you have already approved. Simp The Code of 92that this Code of 92 is 33 years old, has been applied and because of its application no one has died, “he concluded.
